Smoker&#39;s novelty



Nov; 13, 1928. 1,691,564

E. CALD ELL SMOKER s NOVELTY Filed Sept. 19, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

' [WW/IV CIZ DWZZ L A TTORNEYS Nov. 13, 1928. 1,691,564

E. CALDWELL SMOKER'S NOVELTY Filed Sept. 19, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 13, 192a UNITED STATES EDWIN CALDWELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SMOKERS NOVELTY,

Application filed September 19 1924. Serial No. 738,597.

This invention relates to smokers novelties or articles and particularly to supports for cigars andcigarettes which maybe advantageously utilized in connection with ash trays and the like.

'An object of the invention is to provide an improved article of this type which may be readily appliedto orremoved from the usual types of ash trays or receptacles, and .0 having means for the support of cigars and cigarettes in such a manner that their ends, which have been or are to be placed in the smokers mouth, will not come into contact with any surface or article; which will always support burning cigars or cigarettes with the burning ends over the interior of the tray' or receptacle so that in no event can burning tobacco or hot ashes fall upon tables or any surface outside of the tray; which will permit of the removalof the cigars or cigarettes for further smoking; which will automatically. extinguish a burning cigar or cigarette when it burns into close proximity to the portion of the support in which. it is gripped; with which danger of the cigars or cigarettes being unintentionally released is avoided; with which the cigarettes may be almost instantly extinguished in a simple manner, if desired; which may be embodied 'in various forms and artistic designs that may be readily cleaned; which may be readily applied to or removed from any of the standard sizes of ash trays; and which will securely grip either a flanged or unflanged ;5 open edge of a tray or receptacle.

A further object is to provide animproved article which will satisfy any or all of the above objects; which may be manufactured more or less from wire or sheet metal in vam rious forms and artistic designs; and which will be simple, attractive in appearance, durable and relatively inexpensive. Various other objects and advantageswill be ap' parent from the following description of several embodiments of the invention, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection wit the appended claims,

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a plan of a tray having a bridge attached thereto and constructed largely of bent wire in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional-elevation of the same;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of one end of the bridge and a portion of the tray, the section being taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig, 5 is a perspective of the snuifer and cigar rest which forms a part of the improved bridge;

Fig. 6 is a plan of a tray similar to Fig. 1 except that it is a stamping from sheet. metal; I

, 7 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same;

Fig. 8 is an inside elevation of one end of the bridge and adjacent portiqn'of the tray;

Fig. 9 is a plan of a modified construction of bridge of the bent wire type, utilizing a slightly d'flerent connection between the snifier and the wire port-ionof the bridge; an

Fig. 10' is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 9. I

Referring particularly to the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, the 'ash tray or receptable 1 may be of any suitable construction such as of glass, porcelain, or of metal and, as illustrated, is not provided with a peripheral flange around its open edge, although such flange could be provided, if desired. This tray may be of any of the standard sizes and shapes or of any special size or shape.

A wire 2 is secured together at its free ends, such as by welding the same, so as to form a closed elongated loop of a length somewhat greater than the diameter of the open edge-of the tray or receptacle to which it is to be applied. This wire 2, intermedi ate of its ends and at each side of the center', is provided with notches,slots or looped 95 indentations forming pockets 3 which are somewhat U-shaped, and the pockets upon the two stretches of wire are preferably aligned for a purpose which will appear presently. Thewire loop is bentinto an 100 arch shape throughout its length to constih tute an arch bridge, and at the point where it meets the open edge of the tray is shouldered or ofi'set slightly as at 4 so as to rest substantially horizontally upon the upper edge of the tray, and then the extreme ends 5 arebent so as to overlie the outer periphery of the tray.

Each end of the bridge which is bent over the peripheral surface of the tray is .somewhat elongated laterally as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the cross stretch 6 connecting the two side stretches being arcuately curved downwardly as shown in Fig. 3. When the bridge is removed from 'thetray this cross stretch 6 lies approximately in one plane but when applied to the periphery of the circular tray as shown in Fig. 1, it also, in addition to its downward curvature, curves inwardly as shown in Fig. 1, and I have found that by providing ths downward curvature of the stretch 6, a more perfect and secure gripping of the surface of the tray by the bridge is obtained.

- it will be observed that by reason of the arch shape of the bridge, it rises above the open face of the'tray and, when the ends of the bridge are sprung apart to apply it to a tray, the bridge will be flexed, and not stretched mater'ally, so that the ockets or notches 3 in the bridge will be slig 1tly closed and not opened by this springing apart of the ends of the bridge. These repeated applications of the bridge 2 or its removal from the tray will thus always tend to close the pockets 3 instead. of opening them as would be the case if the bridge were stretched more instead of flexed. Byreason of the shoulders 4 and the cross stretch 6, a convex portion of the tray periphery will be largely enclosed between these three portions of the 'bent wire at each end of the bridge, which convex projecting portion will serve as an effective anchorage lug for the ends of the bridge. Thus the tray may be carried about by the bridge as a handle in perfect safety.'

A cigar rest and cigarette snufier preferably is secured across the upper central part of the arch as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, this combined cigar rest and cigarette snufler being shown separately and in perspective in Fig. 5. It comprises a stamping 7 of sheet metal having oppositely disposed upstanding shoulders 8, and extensions 9 leading from said shoulders in opposite directions from one another and approximately parallel to the body of the stamping. Such extensions 9 are preferably made concave so as to provide two spaced concave supports in which a cigar may be supported without danger'of it rolling off. The side edge portions'extending' between the shoulders 8 are bent at right angles to the plane of the stamping and in the opposite direction from the shoulders 8 so as to form dependin flanged edges 10. The opposite ends of eac flange are made hook-shaped to form hooks 11 which extend toward one another for a purpose which will appear presently.

The stamping 7, in the. flat portion between the shoulders 8, is provided with an aperture 12 into which a tubular sleeve 13 may be secured such as by a force fit, the sleeve having a flange 14 upon its upper end which limits the movement of the sleeve through the aperture. The depending end 15 of the sleeve is made convergent or tapering both internally and externally, the external taper facilitating the insertion of the sleeve into the aperture and theinternal taper providing a. constriction of the passage to compress the lightedend of a cigarette which may be forced therein in order to extinguish it as will be explained more fully hereinafter. In applying the combined cigar rest and cigarette snufl'er to the bridge, the two longitudinal stretches of the wire at the central portion are sprung together, and the cigar rest and snufl'er placed over the-same with the sleeve 13 depending between the stretches and with the hooks 11 depending along the outer sides of the longitudinal stretches so that when the wire stretches are released,

they will spring apart and into interlocking engagement with the hooks 11. -This effectively locks the cigar rest and snufier to the bridge or arch without theuse of solder or special securing operations except those" of assembly, and this method of at:

tachment is a very simple operation which requires but a moment of time.-

In order that the-cigar rest and cigarette snuffer will not slide along the arch so as to interfere with the pockets 3, the stretches of wire at their central portions are oppositely bowed as at 16, the len h of the arcuate bow being approximate y the distance between the flanges 10 of the cigar rest so that the flanges 10 by their engagement with the ends of the bowed sections of the arch will limit the sliding of the cigar rest in both directions. The oppositel bowed sections 16 of the wire bridge also serve as a locating element for the cigar rest when the latter is being applied thereto,

Inn

so that the rest will always be in the central portion of the arch.

Referring particularly now to the embodiv intermediate of its ends and at each side of its center, is looped or doubled upon itself to form pockets or indentations 18 which correspond to the pockets or indentations 3 of the preceding embodiment. The strip is bent into the shape of an arch and an opening 19 is cut out of each end sothat when it projects over theedge of the tray, some of the convex surface ofthe tray may project through the o ning, whereby this projecting surface wi serve as an anchoringlug for the ends of the bridge or strip. The cross .end portion 20 at each end of the bridge is preferably curved downwardly in a manner similar to the curvature of the cross stretch 6 of the wire of the preceding embodiment.- The end portions of the bridge are also offset or shouldered as at 21, where they rest upon the edge of the tray,

which shoulders will serve as abutments for the'ends of the arch and correspond tothe shoulders 4 of the preceding embodiment.

The central part of the arch is made transversel concave as at 22, and this concave portion has extensions 23 u on opposite sides so as to form an elongate transversely extending concave cigar rest. In the center of the concave portion the bridge has an aperture 24 in which a tubular sleeve 25 is secured, such as by a force fit, in the same manner that the sleeve 13 is secured in the cigarrest of the preceding embodiment. .The upper. end of the sleeve 25 is provided with a flange 26 corresponding to the flange 14 of the preceding embodiment, and the portion of the, bridge surrounding the tubular sleeve is slightly countersunk as at 27, into which the flange 26 may rest so that its upper surface will be approximately flush with or below the concave cigar rest and thus not interfere with the placing of a cigar in the rest. The lower end 28 of the sleeve istapered convergingly as in the preceding embodiment for a purpose which will appear presently.

Considering the two embodiments illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8, the arch-shaped bridge may be secuied to an ash tray by a springing apart of the ends of the arch, until they fit over the diammetrically opposite edges of the tray, and then when released they will securely grip the tray. with the arch extendingover the open face of the tray. The shoulders 4 or 21 rest upon the upper edge of the tray and serve as abutments for normally taking up the thrusts of the arch shaped bridge, which thrusts may occur when cigarettes are forced into the pockets 3 or 18 or intothe sleeves 13 or 25. Since the thrusts are taken up by these shoulders as abutments, the ends of the arch will not separate when ordinary downward forces are applied to any part of the arch. In this manner the bridge is notlikely to become loosened by forces normally expected to be applied thereto in use. Since the ends of the bridge fitting over the'periphery of the tray are open, the convex portions of the tray may project through the openings and serve as anchoring lugs for thebridge,

, so that the tray may be carried about by the bridge without danger of separation therefrom. By reason ,of the downward curvature of the cross stretches 6 and 20 when applied to circular trays, a more effective gripping of the tray is eflected than where the crossstretches, are straight.

A lighted cigar may be supported upon the bridge by placing it transverselythereof upon the cigarrest; that is, in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the" cigar would be placed upon the concave ears 9, and in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 6 to 8, the cigar would be placed in thecavity 22 at the top of the arch. It will be observed that with the cigar supported in this manner, the lighted end will always be above the traiy so that any ashes or burning tobacco fa in thereform, will drop into the tray, and the other end, which has been or is to be placed in the mouth of thesmoker, will be supported clear of all other objects and surfaces so as to avoid contamination. I

The diameter or width of the pockets 3 and 18 is preferably slightly less than the normal diameter'of a cigarette so that when a cigarette is forced laterally into the pockets, a slight compression of the cigarette will be necessary, with the result that the cigarette will be firmly supported transverse y of the bridge. If the cigarette is burning, it will burn only into proximity to the first point of support in the pocket, at which time,

by reason of the compression of the cigarette in the pocket, the material of the bridge, which is usually metal, will, by conduction, lower the temperature of the burning tobacco below the temperature of combustion and thus extinguish automatically f the burning cigarette. Consequently, the cigarette can never burn far enough to release-itself from the pocket, and, even if it were released, itlwould onlv fall into the tray.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5,

the points in the stretches of wire in which "the pockets 3 are formed are perferably' slightly divergent so that a cigarette forced into two aligned pockets? at one side of the cigar rest will be flexed slightly, thus being effectively gripped by the bridge. If desired, the pockets may be slightly constricted at their entrance or opening, so that when acigarette is forced therein it may be allowed to expand slightly and thus be more se'curelyanc ored.

(Ill

lllll If one desires to immediately extinguish I a burning cigarette, it is merely necessary to inset such cigarette, lighted end first, into the sleeve 13 or 25, and by reason of the convergence or constriction of the lower end of such sleeve, the lighted end will be com pressed. B reason of its contact with the material 0 conducting material, the burning end of the cigarette willbe chilled below the temperaany suitable material may be utilized for :the material of the bridge or sleeves 13 and 25,, the entire'bridge andsleeves are prefer ably made of good heat conducting material such as metal.

the sleeve, which is of -good' jtion, no soldering or attaching operations In the assembly of the bridge shown in Figs. 1 to- 5, it is merely necessary to 'com press the two long stretches of the wire of the bridge together slightly, and snap the cigar rest over the central portion thereof.

It will .be observed that with sucha construcare nccesary and the oppositely curved portions 16 will serve as self-centering devices for the cigar rest and will revent displacement of such rest along tie bridge. This In Figs. 9 and 10 construction hasanother advantage in that the cigar rest may be readil removed in. order. that all the surfaces of'the bridge and rest may be exposed for the ,purposes of cleaning. V v

trated. The construction is'similar to that of Figs... 1 to except that the side edge portions corresponding to the, flanges 10 I of the Figs. 1' to 5 insteadof being bent at i right angles to themain body portion 7, will remain in the same plane and-have tongues 29 and 30 at the ends at each side for at-L- tachmentof the rest to the bridge. Two of the tongues 29 at one end of the rest are during the assembly of the bridge, bent around one of the stretches of wire of the bridge at each side of the bowed section 16, so as to serve as a hinged connection be-, tween therest and the bridge.

bent as shown in Fig. 10 to form snap hooks which automatically snap over the other stretch oi wire of the bridge to yieldingly hold-the cigar rest to such other stretch of wire. In this manner the cigar rest will remain in engagement with both stretches of wire of the-bridge,and yet may be swung upwardly about one of the stretches of'wire to expose, for cleaning pur se's, both of its faces and the portion 0 wire covered thercby. The position of the tongues 29 and' 30 before being bent is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 9. J

. In all cases where the tubular snufi'er is used, it may be noted that immediately when a cigarette is forced, lighted'end first, into such snufl'er, the immediate chilling of the lighted end'which follows, will retard the rate of combustion and, since both ends of the tube are open, suflicient air will always be admitted to prevent smoking during such combustion as occurs. Therefore the instant that the burning cigarette is ,inserted into -the snufier. all smoking is immediately j checked and ifythe cigarette is compressed to any extent at thelighted end, it will be rapidly extinguished.

The depths of the pockets 3 and 18 should preferably be greater than the normal diameter of a cigarette so that by reason-of the compression of the cigarette when forced a slight modification or the cigar rest shown in Figs. 1 to 5 is illus V Thetongues 30 at the other end of the rest are preferably open face of thetray.

by those skilled in'the art within the princiconduction will be a.

ple and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim: p 1. A bridge for ash-receptacles comprising a somewhat resilient. flexible, arch shaped element having a. distance'between vits ends slightly less than thedistance be.-" tween two walls of a tray to which it is'to" be applied. whereby it-may be sprung across 'theopen face of the said tray for support thereabove and asleeve of good heat conducting material, having a passage down.-

'wardly convergent, attached to the "bridge element intermediate. itsv ends and above the open face of the saidtray, the smaller endof said'p'a'ssagc beingless than the normal diameter of a cigarette when a cigarette is forced endwise 'of itself therein, lighted end first, its lighted end will be compressed and chilled to decrease its rate of combustion.

ing an elongated closed loop of resilient 'wire, bent lengthwise into an arch-shape with the distance between its ends slightly less than the distance between opposite walls of a tray over whi h the ends may be sprung for support, said ends having shoulders where they pass over the upper edges of the tray so as to serve as abutments for the arch, saidbridge having, intermediate of its-ends, means for supporting 3. A bridge for ash'receptaclescomprisill! 2. A bridge for ash receptaclescomnrisa cigarette aboy'e the .ing an elongated closed loop of resilient wire, bent lengthwise into an arch-shape of a.tr'ay overwhich the ends may be sprung for support, said ends having shoulders where they pass over the upperedges of the.

with the distance between its ends slightly less than the distance between opposite walls tray so as toserve as abutments for the arch,

the ends of the wire loop being laterally elongated where they engage the tray so as to be securely anchored thereto.)

4; A bridge for ash receptacles compris-- ing an elongated closed loop of resilient wire, bent lengthwise -in to an arch-sha e with the distance between its ends slightly less thanthe distance between opposite walls of a tray'over which the ends maybe sprung for en port, said ends having shoulders where t ey pass. over the upperedges oi the .tray so as to serve as abutmen'ts for the;

55 closedloop of resilient wire arch, the ends of the wire loop bein laterally-elongated where they en age t e tray so as to be securel anchore thereto, the cross stretch at we end bein also'downwardly curved to increase the rmness with which it will grip a convex surface of a tray. v 5. A bridge for a'sh receptacles comprising an elongated closed loop of resilient wire bent lengthwise into .an arch-shape with the distancebetween its ends slightly less than the distance between opposite walls ot a tray over which the ends maybe sprung for support, the longitudinal stretches-of the wire of the loop having, intermediate the ends of the arch, approximately U- shaped indentations with a distance between the walls of the indentationsslightly' less than the normal diameter of an ordinary cigarette, whereby when a cigarette is forced laterally of itself into an indentation, the cigarette will be compressed somewhat and held in the indentation by such compression. 6. The bridge substantially as set forth in claim 5 in which vthe indentations are formed w in both of the longitudinal stretches of the wire -with the indentations in the two stretches approximately aligned with one another. a 7. The bridge substantially as set forth in claim 5 in which the indentations are formed in both of the longitudinalstretches of the wire, with the indentations in the two stretches approximately aligned with one another, the stretches atthe points where the indentations are' formed being non-parallel so that when a cigarette is' forced laterally of itself into two aligned indentations for support, said cigarette will be flexed slightl to increase the grip thereon. L

8. An ash receptacle including 'a tray member, a bridge-comprising an elongated closed looofresilieht wire bent lengthwise to make t e plane of the two stretches of wire arch-shaped and with the distance between the ends of the loop slightly less than the distance between the opposite walls 'of said tra and over which the ends may be sprung or support, and a rest for cigars or cigarettes extending across and attached to the longitudinal stretches of wire of the i loop intermediate the ends of the arch.

' 9. An ash receptacle including ;a tray member, a bridge comprisin an elon ated ntlengt wise to make the plane of the two stretches of wire arch-shaped, and with the distance between the ends of the loop slightly less than the distance between the 0 posite-walls of said tray and overwhich eends' may be sprung .for support, and an element having opposed hooks which may be bokedg-over the two longitudinal stretches of wire of the loop when said stretches are sp toward 0'5 one another, said element-having t ereon a V 10.An ash ,oee 5- concave surface for the support of cigarettes and cigars." v

receptacle including a tray member,- a bridge comprising an elon' ated closed loop of resilient wire bent lengt wise 7 to make the plane of the-two stretches of wire arch-shaped and with the distance be-. tween the ends of the loop slightly'less than the distance between the opposite walls of said tray and over which the ends may be 1- sprung for support, an element having opposed books which may be hooked over the two longitudinal stretches of wire of the loop when said stretches are sprung toward one another, and a 'snu'fii'er carried by said element having. a converging passage, ;the walls of which are formed ofgood heat conducting material .and the cross section of the passage at its smaller end being somewha less than the normal cross section of a cigar te whereby when a cigarette is inserted, lighted end first, into said passage,

.the lighted end will be compressed in the convergmg passage, causing a retardation of the burning and finally extinguishment by- 0" reason of the chilling of the burning tobacco by conduction of itsheat through the walls, of'the passage.- v i I I 11. An ash receptacle including a tray member, a bridge having spaced wire stretches across the 'tra .member, and a clip for attachment to sai stretches, said clip havin o posite side flanges notched to pro-4 vide oois extending toward one ano her and between whichhooks the wire stretches may be sprung when the clip is attached thereto, said chp having aconcave supporting surface for cigars andcigarettes.

12. An ash receptacle including a. tray member, a bridge comprising two spaced ap- 1 proximately parallel stretches of wire and a clip for sald spaced parallel stretches, said clip, having atopposlte ends spaced hooks A extending toward those oi the opposite end, whereby the hooks may be-snapped over the stretches of wire when. the latter are sprung together, said stretches of wire having oppo-. sitely. bowed sections between the spaced hooks serving as) automatic centering and holding means for saidfcli'ps. a

13. An ash receptacle including a tray member, a bridge comprising two spaced stretches of wire extending between opposite sides. of a tray, and achp fer said spaced stretches, said clip having spaced hooks extending toward one another whereby the hooks may be snapped over the stretches 0t wire wherethe latter are sprun together,-

said. stretches of wire having c anges in chrvature at approximately where engaged by the hooks to serve as automatic centerand holding means for said clips. witness when-cot, I hereunto subscribe m ture.

y EDWIN CALDWELL. 

